Uncoupling rod mechanism for a rotary dump car



F. C. KULIEKE, JR

UNCOUPLING ROD MECHANISM FOR A ROTARY DUMP CAR Dec. 17, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1962 BYhlLz;

Dec. 17, 1963 F. c. KULlEKE, JR 3,114,462

UNCOUPLING ROD MECHANISM FOR A ROTARY DUMP CAR Filed Feb. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

I aleamb gjalzf-e u rzffi /MH{W7%% .and 12 and a depending United States Patent 3,114,462 UNCQUlLlNG RG1) MECHANEM FOR A RGTARY DUMP CAR Frederick C. Kulieke, in, Alliance, ()hio, assignor to Anisted industries Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corps ration of New Jersey Filed Feb. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 174,764 2 Claims. (Cl. 213-166) This invention relates to uncoupling rods for railway cars and more particularly to an uncoupling rod mechanism for use on one end of a rotary dump car, the other end of the car being provided with an uncoupling rod mechanism of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. 173,651, filed February 16, 1962.

During unloading of conventional rotary dump railway cars, the cars in a train are successively rotated approximately 195 relative to their adjacent cars without uncoupling the cars. During such rotational movement, a dump car may become accidentally uncoupled from its adjacent cars.

it is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide means adapted to prevent accidental uncoupling of a rotary dump car from its adjacent cars during a'rotary dumping operation.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an uncoupling rod mechanism adapted to be automatically locked against uncoupling movement responsive to rotational dumping movement of the car to thereby prevent unlocking of its coupler.

A further object of the invention resides in the pro- "vision of a safety latch automatically operable responsive to rotation of a dump car to lock an uncoupling rod against accidental uncoupling movement.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view illustrating an uncoupling rod mechanism embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the uncoupling rod mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevation illustrating the uncoupling rod held in locked position by the latch when the car is rotated to its dumping position;

FIGURE 5 is a detail side elevation illustrating the anti-swing uncoupling rod bracket;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation of the bracket.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, a conventional bottom rotary operated coupler 2 is shown as mounted on one end of a conventional railway dump car 3 for mating engagement with a rotary coupler on an adjacent dump car. The coupler 2 comprises the usual rotary locklift lever 4 adapted to be rotated by an uncoupling rod mechanism to unlock the coupler.

The uncoupling rod mechanism is shown as comprising :an inner rod 6 and an outer rod 7, the latter being mounted for manual rotational movement in inner and outer bearing brackets 8 and 9 secured to the end of the dump car. The outer rod 7 is provided with keys 11 handle 13, the key 11 being normally engaged within a keyway 14 formed in the bracket 9 to prevent accidental rotary movement of the rod. The bracket ,9 is formed with an elongated bearing pe g; 6 to permit the rod 7 to be lifted vertically by "ice the operator to disengage the key 11 from the keyway 14 prior to uncoupling rotary movement of the rod.

One end of the inner rod 6 is formed with a hook portion 17 for engagement with the rotary locklift lever 4, and the other end is secured to a connector 18 slidably mounted on the inboard end of the rod '7. The connector 18 is provided with a keyway to receive the key 12 on the rod 7 to prevent rotational movement of the connector relative to the rod.

A safety latch bracket 19 is mounted on the end of the car above the outer rod 7 and between the brackets 8 and 9. The bracket 19 is provided with a pin 21 on which a safety latch 22 is suspended for gravitational pivotal movement transversely of the car. The latch is formed with a fiat lower surface 23 between upwardly diverging end surfaces 24 and 26.

The latch 22 is disposed directly above the outer rod '7 and spaced therefrom to permit normal manual uncoupling movement of the rod when the dump car is in its normal upright position. When the dump car is moved onto a rotary dump apparatus and then rotated approximately to discharge the contents therefrom, the safety latch 22 pivots relative to the car, as illustrated in FTGURE 4, to engage one of its end surfaces 24 or 26 against the rod '7' to thereby maintain the key 11 in the keyway 14 and thus prevent accidental uncoupling movement of the rod 7.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the depending claims.

I claim:

1. In an uncoupling rod mechanism for a rotary dump car, spaced inner and outer bearing brackets secured to one end of the car and provided with horizontally aligned apertures, said outer bracket having a keyway therein disposed below said apertures, an uncoupling rod journaled in said brackets and having a depending handle on its outboard end, a key secured on said rod and normally engaged in said keyway by gravity to prevent accidental uncoupling movement of said rod, and a latch mounted on said car above said rod for gravitational pivotal movement into abutting engagement with said rod responsive to rotary dumping movement of the car to prevent movement of said key from the keyway.

2. In an uncoupling rod mechanism for a rotary dump car, spaced inner and outer bearing brackets secured to one end of the car and provided with horizontally aligned apertures, said outer bracket having a keyway therein disposed below said apertures, an uncoupling rod journaled in said brackets and having a depending handle on its outboard end, a key secured on said rod and normally engaged in said keyway by gravity to prevent accidental uncoupling movement of said rod, and a latch mounted on said car above said rod for gravitational pivotal move ment into abutting engagement with said rod responsive to rotary dumping movement of the car to prevent movement of said key from the keyway, said latch having a lower surface normally spaced from said rod and having end surfaces extending upwardly from said lower surface for gravitational movement into abutting engagement with said rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 604,718 Buhoup May 31, 1898 2,356,336 Metzger Aug. 22, 1944 2,499,567 Bronson Mar. 7, 1950 

2. IN AN UNCOUPLING ROD MECHANISM FOR A ROTARY DUMP CAR, SPACED INNER AND OUTER BEARING BRACKETS SECURED TO ONE END OF THE CAR AND PROVIDED WITH HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED APERTURES, SAID OUTER BRACKET HAVING A KEYWAY THEREIN DISPOSED BELOW SAID APERTURES, AN UNCOUPLING ROD JOURNALED IN SAID BRACKETS AND HAVING A DEPENDING HANDLE ON ITS OUTBOARD END, A KEY SECURED ON SAID ROD AND NORMALLY ENGAGED IN SAID KEYWAY BY GRAVITY TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL UNCOUPLING MOVEMENT OF SAID ROD, AND A LATCH MOUNTED ON SAID CAR ABOVE SAID ROD FOR GRAVITATIONAL PIVOTAL MOVEMENT INTO ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROD RESPONSIVE TO ROTARY DUMPING MOVEMENT OF THE CAR TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID KEY FROM THE KEYWAY, SAID LATCH HAVING A LOWER SURFACE NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID ROD AND HAVING 